Page 205 of The Unravelings

“I can hang the fuck up and go back to my life…” He trails off.

“You’re too bored to hang up on me,” I chuckle, feeling a lightness in my chest.

“Fuck off,” he growls. “But maybe.”

“So, what made you decide to call me so early in the morning?” I hum, check the time, and note it’s about 5:00 a.m.

Damn, I’ve been gone for hours by myself. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess.

“Well, I thought you might like to hear the details about this USB drive your fucking ex gave you, or nah?” he asks.

“I’m listening…” I say with my heart in my throat.

“That’s what I fucking thought,” he says as loud music begins to play somewhere in the distance, and Mack’s loud voice rings out through the cave system, drowning out everything else, but I’m too enthralled by the words Carter speaks to give them any sort of attention.

56

Olivia

Music flows through the winding caverns and passages, whirling around me. Mack’s voice continues to rise, echoing loudly off the cave walls and making me cringe at the intensity of it. Something weird is happening with the other initiates. I hold the phone closer to my ear, darting further into the small room I’ve found myself in, and lean against the furthest wall I can find to drown out the noise and listen intently to Carter.

“So, you were saying…” I practically swallow my tongue when Carter scoffs at me again.

“Are you even fucking listening?” he grumbles. “And what’s that fucking music? Who the fuck is talking? Are you in a weird cult now? It wouldn’t surprise me.”

“First off, that’s rude. I’m not in a damn cult, asshole,” I huff out in annoyance, staring up at the tall ceiling. The light illuminating the space makes small shapes on the cave ceiling. “You probably wouldn’t believe it, but I’m kind of in the middle of joining a gang.”

“Excuse the fuck out of me? A gang? You?” He scoffs at me and then chuckles at my expense. “And where the fuck do gangs hold their initiations? You don’t have to bleed someone out, do you? Because that sounds like fun.”

“Fun?” I quip back. “Oh, yeah. I’m having so much fun. My asshole ex shoved me into the deepest, darkest part of an elaborate cave system and left me to rot.”

“Unfortunately for the rest of the world, you aren’t rotting,” Carter quips sarcastically while typing on his computer.

“I don’t even know why we’re friends,” I huff. “You should be happy I made it out on my own without having to call for help.”

“Yeah, yeah. And friends? Whoever said we were friends? You’re an annoying little gnat who constantly needs my services.”

“Oh, so sorry to constantly disrupt your day. I’ll start going to someone else…” I trail off when silence meets me on the other end of the phone.

“You’re too loyal,” he huffs.

“And we’re friends. It’s okay, you can admit it.”

“Fuck. Fine, we’re friends,” Carter huffs out. “But I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone else.”

“Right.” I laugh and lean my head against the cool wall, letting the chill spill through my system. “So, they were telling the truth, then? They weren’t lying to me?” I ask more to myself than Carter, who has repeated himself at least three times now.

“For the fourth time, yes. Those assholes were miles away in fucking Vegas doing fuck knows what. From the looks of it, they were aimlessly walking around a casino.” I can practically hear him rolling his eyes at me. “Even that fucker who left. I’ve got the time stamps from the missed tolls and pictures of his ugly mug, clear as day. Those assholes weren’t there. And if they were? Then they’re fucking magic or have twins out there somewhere.”

I squeeze my eyes closed, letting my mind fully comprehend the facts Carter has given me. They didn’t do it. They weren’t in town. JJ wasn’t lying. All the truths I knew from before have unraveled into lies. What is the truth now? If it wasn’t them. Then, who did it? The only person I know for a fact who did it was Franco. He was there. At the center of it all.

“You’re not lying to me, are you?” My brain refuses to wrap itself around the lies it’s been told for all these years. Now, right in front of me, is the proof I’ve always begged for. It may not be the exact answers I had been seeking, but it’s still the truth of it all.

And that’s all I ever wanted.

I sigh when the music from the distance grows softer, and Mack’s voice rings out with glee. Oh, Mack. He truly has been mourning my death all these years and taking it hard. Sitting at my grave. Keeping my trinkets. I destroyed the treehouse. Fuck. This is all such a damn mess. How am I supposed to come up to all of them and expose myself now? And Jonathan? Did he know the boys were innocent in all this, and that’s why he sent me here? Did he want me to find the truth out myself?

“This is your chance to stay or get the fuck out!” Mack shouts gleefully over the music. “Once you’re in, you’re in. There’s no fucking leaving. Well, unless you’re in a body bag,” he chuckles like it’s the world’s best joke. “So, leave now or forever hold your peace! Till death do us part, assholes!” He chuckles again, and more voices murmur through the caves, but I can’t tell what they’re saying.